Almora Hill Station
Almora is a town in the shape of a horse shoe. It is on a 5 km long mountain range. It has its own historical, cultural and political importance. Once upon a time, it was the capital of Kumau. It was set up by King Balo Kalyan Chand in 1563.The descendents from the Kyutar dynasty and the Chand dynasty ruled here in the old times. The forts, other historical monuments, courts and governmental offices are still present today. The two rivers, Kaushik (Koshi) and Shalmali (Suyal) flow near the town. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas look like a long train of ice and snow from here.
Almora is a wonderful place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas.
Away from the bright lights of cities, in a peaceful atmosphere lies Almora which brings alive all that is beautiful in nature. Almora is situated at the top a peak that is half circular.
A Famous Gateway
There are lots of attractions at Almora. Swami Vivekananda gave famous lectures here and included it in his itinerary at the turn of this century. From Almora To Colombo record that he was stirred as much by the stark beauty of the mountains here as by the ocean at Kanyakumari. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, was located at Mayawati Ashram then in Almora. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore spent a summer to get over the personal grief after the loss of a beloved child. A little later followed the great dancer Udaya Shankar. Ravi Shankar, Zohra Sehgal, Simki and the youngster Guru Dutt have all been here. Others have followed in their footsteps. Pundit Nehru had served a term of imprisonment in the Jail at Almora and has left behind an evocative account of the pleasures of solitude and the changing moods of nature in his various letters written from this place which acted as inspirational guide for the Indians.
Famous Places to See:
Bright End Corner: Almora is 2 kms away from here. A highlight of this point is the sunset and the sunrise seen through the Himalayan peaks. A circuit house close by allows tourists to spend some time in this peaceful surrounding. Close by is the Vivekananda Library which has many books on literature. A little away is the Vivekananda Memorial where Swami Vivekananda had stopped for a while on his journey to the Himalayas.
Chitai Temple: This temple is dedicated to Lord Golu. The people of Kumau worship him. Once a wish is fulfilled people hang little bells in this temple. Therefore there are thousands of little bells hanging there. The view of the Himalayas is extremely beautiful from here. This temple is 8 kms away by walk through a beautiful pine forest, but one can go by cart too.
Nanda Devi Temple: This 1000-year old temple is one of the main attraction of Almora. Its walls have carvings on them. Every year a festival is held here in which youth from various mountainous areas come here to participate in this dance festival.
Kasar Devi: Near Kalimutt is the temple of Kasar Devi. This ancient temple was built on a mountain peak in the second century. The distance between Kalimatt and Kasar Devi is less than 1 km and can be easily covered by foot. The surrounding area has become the home of many foreigners. The main town is 6 km away.
State Museum: This museum is near the bus stand . It is closed on Mondays and other Government Holidays. It is open from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Travel Information :
Almora is well connected with all-important cities of India by road. The nearest airport is a Pant Nagar (Nainital). During the summer regular flights are operational. The nearest raiway station near Almora is Kathgodam.
Almora Hill Station, Hill Station in India
Query Form
